Studio Album · No. 6
Cole Español Songwriting Credits by Nat King Cole
Produced by Lee Gillette
Holds writing credit on 0 of 11 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 0 / 11 documented
Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Nat King Cole carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Cole Español is a pure interpreter's record, the clearest example of Nat King Cole as a singer rather than an author. He wrote none of the eleven songs; every credit belongs to the Latin composers behind the standards, from Consuelo Velázquez and Osvaldo Farrés to Agustín Lara, María Grever, and César Portillo de la Luz, plus the English-language adapters who supplied crossover lyrics. Cole's contribution is his voice, singing phonetically in Spanish over Cuban arrangements cut in Havana under Armando Romeu Jr. with Nelson Riddle conducting. The composer column therefore points entirely at the original songwriters, never at Cole.
Cole Español is a Spanish-language studio album by Nat King Cole, released by Capitol Records in August 1958. Cole sang every song phonetically in Spanish, recording the orchestral tracks in Havana, Cuba with the Cuban bandleader Armando Romeu Jr. and adding his vocals later at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, with additional arranging and conducting by Nelson Riddle. The material is a set of Latin standards and boleros written by composers such as Consuelo Velázquez, Osvaldo Farrés, Agustín Lara, María Grever, and César Portillo de la Luz, so Cole is the interpreter throughout rather than a writer. It became a major success in the Latin market, reaching number twelve on the Billboard LP chart and selling strongly across Spain and Latin America. The album was later inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007, and it opened a Spanish-language chapter that Cole extended with the follow-ups A Mis Amigos and More Cole Español.
Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Cachito
|
Consuelo Velázquez | Consuelo Velázquez Torres | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 2 |
María Elena
|
Lorenzo BarcelataBob Russell | Lorenzo BarcelataSidney Keith Russell | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 3 |
Quizás, quizás, quizás
|
Osvaldo FarrésJoe Davis | Osvaldo FarrésJoseph M. Davis | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 4 |
Las mañanitas
|
Traditional | Traditional | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 5 |
Acércate más
|
Osvaldo FarrésAl Stewart | Osvaldo FarrésAl Stewart | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 6 |
El bodeguero
|
Richard Egües | Eduardo Richard Egües Martínez | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 7 |
Arrivederci Roma
|
Renato RascelPietro GarineiSandro GiovanniniCarl Sigman | Renato RanucciPietro GarineiSandro GiovanniniCarl Sigman | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 8 |
Noche de ronda
|
Agustín Lara | Agustín Lara | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 9 |
Tú, mi delirio
|
César Portillo de la Luz | César Portillo de la Luz | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 10 |
Te quiero, dijiste
|
María GreverCharles Pasquale | María Joaquina de la Portilla TorresCharles Pasquale | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |
| 11 |
Adelita
|
Traditional | Traditional | Lee Gillette | Nat King Cole (Vocals) |